Steam locomotive number 45212 from Fleetwood to haul Britain’s Northern Belle over the Settle-Carlisle line

A giant steam locomotive that spent almost  20 years pulling trains from Fleetwood will tomorrow (Saturday) haul Britain’s most luxurious train over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line.

The gleaming Black Five class engine, number 45212, operated from British Railway’s Fleetwood Shed, number 24F, from 1947 to 1964 before being transferred to Carnforth.

More recently it has been hauling Scotland’s Jacobite train – nicknamed the Hogwarts Express after featuring in the Harry Potter movies – between Fort William and Mallaig.

But on Saturday it will be pulling the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle – dubbed “the Grand Dame of luxury travel” by actor Bill Nighy when it featured on Channel 5 – from Leeds  to Carlisle and back again.

A spokesman for the train said: “We like to think we won’t only be taking people over the Settle-Carlisle line – we will also be transporting them back to the golden days of rail travel when nothing was too good for pampered passengers.”

The Northern Belle will be traveling from Preston to Edinburgh on August 24 for the city's Fringe Festival and then a slap-up Fireworks Dinner in November.

Fares, which include champagne and wine as well as a slap-up meal, start at £295.  For more details, see www.northernbelle.co.uk